School speaks out on behalf of teacher who was brutally attacked by 16-year-old student

‘There is only one victim here, and that is the educator’ the school district president said

A school official has pushed back on the public narrative arround a Las Vegas teacher who was brutally attacked by a student.

Last week a 16-year-old student allegedly attacked his teacher at Eldorado High School in Las Vegas. Initial reports suggested that the student, identified as Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia, entered the teacher's room to discuss grades. The discussion escalated to violence when the student allegedly began punching the teacher and then strangled her until she passed out.

KTNV reports that the student fled the classroom following the attack but was later arrested at home.

Clark County Education Association President Marie Neisess held a press conference and spoke on behalf of the unidentified high school teacher who was assaulted.

Ms Neisess said that the initial report that the student entered the classroom to discuss grades was false.

Clark County Education Association President Marie Neisess spoke on behalf of the high school teacher, who had not been publicly identified as of this report, at a press conference to discuss school safety on Tuesday.

Neisess said she'd personally spoken with the Eldorado High School teacher who was attacked on Thursday. A 16-year-old student was arrested and charged with attempted murder, sexual assault and battery with intent to commit sexual assault, among other felonies. At the time, police said they were told the attack was the result of an argument after the student came into the teacher's classroom to discuss grades.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," she said. "This was a brutal assault. The student came in with the intent to attack this educator, and did so from the word 'go.' There is only one victim here, and that is the educator."

She said the school district was going to upgrade their security, which will include the installation of surveillance cameras. Teachers will also be provided with devices that allow them to call for police or administration help.

"This cannot wait one more day," she said. "...Without these steps we will see more and, God forbid, worse things than what happened last week at Eldorado."

The student is facing a number of charges, including one count of burglary, one count of first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm, two counts of battery by strangulation with an attempt to commit sexual assault, three counts of battery with intent to commit sexual assault, two counts of battery with intent to commit sexual assault resulting in bodily harm, one count of attempted murder (with use of a charging cord for strangling), two counts of attempted murder, one count of attempting murder with the use of a deadly weapon (scissors), one count of sexual assault and one count of robbery.